1/2

over the last few months, i've been going back and forth on whether or not i would run a full or a half this month. i finally decided it will be the 1/2. i'm sad to miss the marathon because i love it so much, but i'm just not ready. not a good idea to try to run 26.2 miles when you're not trained properly, and especially when you're not 20 years old anymore.
so, the 1/2 it is. i've been running consistently all summer, so as long as my IT band doesn't give me too much trouble i should have a good run.

i also signed up for a 7 miler in November. it's more of a fun run than a race, but i love it. i'm doing it with a big group of people, so that makes it even better!

some random things i've been thinking about (not running related):

• october is my favorite month of the year.

• "the lazy mother does everything herself"... this is so true! it is usually easier to do things myself, but not the best choice for my kids. they need to know how to do things at home and how to do a job well (something i've noticed is really lacking in many young people. it seems like so many kids are growing up expecting to get whatever they want and be entertained all the time...ok, that made me sound old.).
• i'm subbing in elementary schools this year, and it has really made me notice a general lack of respect for authority. subs usually get little respect, but i've seen it in how the kids relate to the other teachers and adults throughout the school too. it makes me never want to teach full time.
• i need to find a new book to read. it's been such a busy year that i've only read one book (not counting kids books). any suggestions?

schedules.

remember when i said i wasn't going to follow a training schedule this year?! well, i've figured out that just doesn't work for me. i like to have a schedule (even if i just follow it loosely), and check off my runs. i like seeing how many weeks before my next marathon and how far i've come. i need the reminder. i need the accountability.

so, i'm back to following a training schedule. i'm tentatively training for a full marathon in october, but it's going to depend on how my IT band is doing. i don't want to overdo it and be sidelined again. the good news is, so far i've been feeling pretty good. i'm supposed to run 16 this weekend, but i'm planning to save it until monday or tuesday because running in 100+ degrees isn't fun. i tried that last night for 4 miles, and even though i made it, i felt like i was going to die.

so far this week i managed 4, 8, 4, and a few miles of walking with friends.

5

i keep forgetting to record my runs here. i'm going to try to be better about it. it helps keep me accountable.
i've been running consistently since the 20k, and have felt good. so thankful for that.

ran 5 today. 85 degrees. felt good. i tried to focus on relaxing my shoulders today, and just enjoying the run. i'm trying to look at my garmin less because that can really take the joy out of it sometimes.

we were at the pool all day today, and i almost didn't run when i got home. i was feeling so zapped from being out in the sun all day, but i'm glad i went.

i've been playing soccer once a week for the last month or so. it's not a league, but just a bunch of people that get together to play for fun. it's a first for me, and i've fallen in love with the sport. it's such a good workout!
sadly, i don't think i'm going to be able to keep doing it, if i want to continue training for a full this fall. it can be pretty brutal on my ankles and knees.

i finished the 20k this weekend! woo hoo!
it was a beautiful day to run, and i felt good almost the whole time. it wasn't a personal best, but i did what i set out to do. my goal was to take it easy and finish without any IT band pain. this run gave me hope that i may be able to run a full again this fall. usually i sign up right away so i can get the early bird discount, but this year i will sign up at the last minute, if i'm able to run. having an injury sure changes your perspective...

i'm also going to do my marathon training schedule different this year too. i usually follow one of hal higdon's schedules, but this year i'm going to run when i can and just get some longer runs in. by now i know how far i need to be able to go, and how many miles i should be doing in training. so, that's the plan for this summer. most of all, i want to enjoy the journey. sometimes i'm too focused on getting to the finish line.

5

today's run didn't started out the best.
-my garmin strap broke right before i left. such a bummer. i knew i couldn't run without it, so i just held it in my hand while i ran. not ideal, but it worked.
-i wore a pair of sunglasses today that i've never run in before, and they were flopping up and down quite a bit.
-all of the thin dri-fit socks that i like to wear were dirty... womp. womp.

sometimes there are annoyances like this before or during a run, but i know i just have to put one foot in front of the other and keep going (just like in life). i did that today, and it turned out to be my best run of the year. i just had to get through the first mile. i ran 5 sweaty miles and it felt good.

the 20k is this weekend. today gave me hope that i can finish. i think my longest run this year has been 7 miles, so the plan is to finish and enjoy the miles in between.

lately...

running is getting better, and thankfully i haven't noticed any pain in my left leg.

this week:
monday - 3 somehow managed to squeeze in 3 miles before taking kids to their activities.
tuesday - 4
thursday - 5 in the rain. when i left it was sunny, and i had no idea it was supposed to rain. felt good though.
friday - 3
sunday - 8 - had to stop twice at stop lights. felt good overall. this run gave me hope that i can finish the 1/2 without dying in a few weeks. i'm no where near where i'd want to be, but it will be a fun training run.

today after i was done running, i sat on the grass in the sun and just sat there for awhile. i turned my music off, and was just still for awhile. it made me realize how rarely i do that. there are so many distractions in this world, and i need to sit and be still before the Lord more often. it was so refreshing.

looks like it's finally going to warm up this week. i'm looking forward to getting in a longer run at some point this week. i'd like to run a 10 miler before the 1/2.

coming back (slowly)

sunday - walked 6 miles with a friend. it was a great day!
monday - ran 6 miles on the treadmill at the gym. tired of the treadmill, but running next to fit 20 year-olds is always a good motivator.
wednesday - 3 miles and a blister. i ran too fast. i need to pace myself better, so i'm not huffing and puffing so much. i passed a friend that was pushing her daughter in a stroller, and she probably thought i was dying.
friday - 3 miles on a beautiful day. i noticed lots of flowering trees, including my favorite magnolia tree. 

4ish

yesterday it was 75 here. it was great! it's been so cold here.
i enjoyed it and ran outside. i'm slowly getting back to it, but it's not fun to start from scratch again. the good news is my leg hasn't given me any trouble so far.

i seem to have forgotten how to pace myself. yesterday i took off and ran my first two miles under 9 min., huffing and puffing the whole way. i had a hard time running up the hill by my house. that hill is always a good indicator for how i'm doing. it's a long and steep one.
the last two miles were slower, and i stopped twice at stop lights. i was thankful for that because i was so out of breath.

looking forward to getting back to longer/easier runs.

march random...

hello friends.

• hard to believe another month has passed since i last posted, yet this seems like the winter that is never ending. we still have lots of snow on the ground and temps in the low 30's, but i'm trying really hard to not be a complainer. complaining about the weather is a relatively small issue, but i think it can become a part of who someone is - always discontent. so, i'm looking for the positives, and today the sun is out and the snow is melting. 
• i signed up for a 1/2 in june. it's the same one i've done every year for quite awhile (lost count). i'm not sure how my leg will be, but i'll walk some if i have to.
• last week was spring break. it was a nice break from the norm and less mom-taxing.
• the girls are learning to play "10,000 Reasons" on the piano, so they can share it at church. so awesome!

• we're in the process of getting rid of the carpet in our house. did you know that carpet is one of the worst things for allergy sufferers? i had no idea there were so many wood options, types of wood, and colors. thankful that we can do our research online to narrow down our options.
• can't wait to run outside later this week! woo hoo!

februrary random...

• i had my hair dyed a couple months ago. it ended up being quite a bit darker than i wanted (i.e. almost black), but it's kind of growing on me now. i like change. it's been nice not to see so many grays for awhile too.
• wow, getting gray hair happened too fast. how am i closer to 40 than 30?! 
• bears have the right idea - hibernate all winter
• February is the longest shortest month ever.
• today i looked at real estate in hawaii online. yep, i officially have cabin fever.
• the good news is, the sun is out today.
• i miss running. pretty much every winter i lose everything i trained and worked so hard for. i just can't get myself to get out the door when it's 30 or below. i've been on the treadmill some, but my limit is a few miles. so boring.
• we're trying to figure out where to go on vacation this year. we thought about yellowstone/yosemite, but the kids said they've seen enough mountains. they want to go to a beach. i don't blame them. the national park vacation would be a lot of time in the car, and they had so much fun at the beach last summer. it doesn't really matter to me where we go, i'm just thankful we have the option of going somewhere. i know this isn't the case for every family and it may not always be the case for us. 
• i think i've decided on a spring half and a fall marathon (more on that to come soon), as long as my leg allows me to run.

still here.

still here. not much running, but i've gone a few times and my leg seems to be better.
the plan right now is to continue alternating running and walking until march and then i will start training for a 1/2 in june.
of course, that all depends on how much leg is doing.
if that goes well, i'd like to run another marathon in the fall.

hope to be back soon with regular updates.